{"id":208753,"date":"2018-09-06T03:45:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-06T03:45:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-05-01T13:42:41","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01T13:42:41","slug":"whats-apple-butter-and-the-best-apples-to-make-it-with","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.justapinch.com\/blog\/articles\/read\/208753\/whats-apple-butter-and-the-best-apples-to-make-it-with\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s Apple Butter and the Best Apples To Make it With"},"content":{"rendered":"

Filled with warm spices, apple butter is a fall favorite. It’s delicious spread onto a piece of toast for breakfast or it can be added to cookies, pies, and cakes when baking. While picking up a jar at the market is convenient (and there are many tasty brands out there), making it at home is super easy. When apple picking season arrives, it’s a fantastic way to use extra apples. But what is apple butter? The logical guess is it’s a mixture of apples and butter. But that’s not the case.<\/p>\n

What is Apple Butter?<\/h3>\n

Apple butter dates back to the Middle Ages. Monasteries in Limburg (now known as Belgium and the Netherlands) and Germany typically had large fruit orchards. They created a spread, what we now know as apple butter, with the apples. With high sugar content and little water, apple butter had a long shelf life. Villagers began making apple butter too and the spread gained in popularity. As people emigrated to America, they continued to make apple butter in their new country.<\/p>\n

Are Apple Butter and Applesauce Similar?<\/h3>\n

Apple butter and applesauce are similar in the fact that they’re made with chopped apples and cooked. After that, the similarities end.<\/p>\n

To make applesauce, apples are cooked just until soft and then pureed until smooth. Spices are added and, in the end, it has a semi-watery consistency. <\/p>\n

For apple butter, though, the apples are cooked much longer. The apples break down, become caramelized and turn into a spread. When combined with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and sugar, the consistency is much smoother, and spreadable than applesauce with a more intense apple flavor.<\/p>\n

What are the Best Types of Apples for Making Apple Butter?<\/h3>\n

Soft apples are best for making homemade apple butter because they break down easier and create a better texture in the end. Combining different types of apples – both sweet and tart – enhance the flavor of the end product. Try a combination of McIntosh, Cortland, Red Delicious, Braeburn, Cortland, Fuji, and Granny Smith when whipping up a batch at home.<\/p>\n

What’s the Best Way to Eat Apple Butter?<\/h3>\n

We can’t think of only one<\/i> way. That would be like saying there’s only way one way to eat an Oreo. If you want suggestions, read this article on the best ways to use apple butter<\/a>. But, here are a few quick and easy ideas:<\/p>\n